Bernhard



July 15, 1952 e. BERNHARD COMBUSTION APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1948 T INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY July 15, 1952 G- BERNHARD 2,503,280

' COMBUSTION APPARATUS Filed 001:. 19, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR.

I GEOEGEBERNHARD.

ATTORNEY Patented July '15, 1952 COMBUSTION Anise-n nes; j 5 *1 This -in'vention relates to eo'mhust'ion apparatus, and particularly too'evices utilizing liquid fuel anl known the trade as'oil burners.

Drieitoiower costs and much-faster recovery Drocess; the major on companies are interested in -1ev1'op'ing the catalytic method'of'crackingthe crufi oil, {and thereby increasing the totaLquan- This means, however, the V raster burning fractions will ren'lain in-the' fuel oil afterprocessing of the crude is *com1i1eted,res1flting' a i'i'eavier fuel-oil the use of which p'laes a greater burden and strain-on the present-day oilhurher the conjs'truction -whereof is inatlequa'te" 'to handle the new hard-'to-burn ar dheavier "catalytic oil. In most cases present day oil burners cannot 'burn thisoatalytic oil.

ji rinoipal among theohi'ects of the invention is thebrovisionof afuel oil burner capabi-e of '-burni g the heavier-catalytic fuel oil effectively and Another object of the invention is to provide a struo'turewhich-wili 'boiihsubdivide the oil into ties with air'in spite of the viscous'and heavy gha'raoterfdftheoiTused. j

' Affur'ther object of the i'n'vfentiohis'to provide means for efiedting"hi'gh velooity properly con-'- ftroiled airsupplyantrdifiusign. lhg ain' an object ofthe invention' is to provide "or "bet'tei 'stahili'zed control of primary air and improved turbulence creating means. 'Yet'anotherhhiect of "the invention is 'to' redu'ce, the over-all length of the'air'tube over prior 'artc'onstructi'ons. V

"still further object of the invention is to provide i or higher combustion chamber temperaturesjand a much 'stea'dier and more" stabilized name than inpriora'rt constructions. I

fOther "objects of *the invention will appear "to thoseskilled in the art to which it 'appertains as the tiescrintion progresses, "both "by "direct recitation thereofandby inferenoe from "the context. lfieierring to the -"acconzpanying "drawings in which iike numerals of reference indicate simii ipartsthr'oughout thesevera'l viewsz. e g; "f'Figu're 1 is a vertical l'ongituiiinaljs etion "of "a boxnbnstion apparatus accordance with my inver fiom T e 1 emf? 215 elevation-of the inner tubeth'ere- I t {which "is shown the adjustaljie airfvaive t refo *and a 'part '10" izhejiead-in-cahies and Tuelpipeie I V l Fig ure f3 cross -'-'5 v of Fig. 1

microseopic particfl'es V and surround those partionai viewed 'Iine s- -s e, '55

solsinis, (01.458476) Figuree e frontend view-20f theinneritube; Figure 5 s a perspective expanded View oitthe inner tube-and associated pawts'shownin' Fig; 2, together with-the whirl chamber and cone nosition'ed forwardly therefrom; and F-igu-re 6 isa longitudinal sectional View; of a portion of said-inner tube, cone and' whirl enamber in operative assembiedlrelation; the spe'i 'fio emb'odiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference nu.- meral IiO "designates the main housing *whieh'provides for appropriate mounting and" operation of a faner blower i l for creating the copioussair supply required for apparatus-of the-character imiic'atede the rear of this hOusin'gu-isi a'n opening orhatch 12 for access to-the "interim, said hatch being normally closed with a. cover '(no'tshown) in operation "of the burner. At the front :of the housing aiigned with. the rear np'ening or hatch 12 is a iorwa'rd opening iie'fined by aforwardly protruding hollow neck 1'3. Said'ne'ck constit tes asupportin}; means for a tubular jack ililast tiibe 14 projecting forwardly-from k anu atmehed thereto. coaxiaiito amd Within 1 the blast tub'e'. l d -is an inner-tube 155 oonsiderahiy smztllerand-muehshorter than the blast tube sofas to provide an' annularpassa'e e '16 'Ee'tWe'en the inner tubean'd' 'th'e'fforward part o'fj' th'e blast tube for the primary-Lair flowrfrom the' housing to the forward ems OfLSiidlitiihES. Theii-itei' iorof inner tube'i 1 5 in like man r-eon- 'stitiites a passage il'forthe secondary I from the housing'to the forward end of 1 inner n'be; A t the {forward end -o f thebiast be lfi'i's ahoiiow nos-br air oonceritrat'or i-B th' "nteiior" whereof "constitutes a whirl "chamberhy virtue of a piuralityof spirai' va'nes T9 therein. For installations where needed, further-ear lion-- oentra tion m'ay be-; )bt'a;ined by addition' o'f a irusto-eon icai hollow extension {or "choke ring 29 secured on the forward part of said nose as 'by screws '21. For convenience of reierencefthe nose a-nd ring together are referred'to herein as 'aCQne; 5 Y f Attention is directed to the fact that "the -genierai configuration of the 'fOIWEIdf'GHd -o'f inner tube" "[5 is emf-convergence in its approach to its inner e'ndtoward the furnace fire-box; whereby, in -acoordan'ce witn we'llknown Venturi theory, the' seconda'ry air 'v'loci ty at the end 'oif said tube is increased. The nose ifi likewise has a convergingfreiat'ion to the tube; thereby 'ais'o in"- greasing the prima'ry air velocity from thenose.

introduced thereby additionally increases the velocity of the primary air which adds velocity impetus to the stream of secondary air enveloped thereby.

Coaxially within inner tube I5 is a fuel feed pipe 22 the forward end of which carries the usual or atomizing nozzle 23. The rear end of the coaxial feed pipe extends to the rear opening or hatch where connection is made to a fuel pump (not shownl or other source ofjfuel supply. Said fuel pipe 22 is supported and retained in its'coaxial position by suitable means such as spider bracket 26 located in the inner tube and with the ends of the spider legs engaging the tube wall, and in slidable engagement for permittlnglongitudinal adjustment of spider also makes provision for supportand re-.-

tention of spark-forming electrodes tion next the fuel-ejecting forward end of the nozzle for igniting the fuel and instigating the flame. The electrodes are protected in their passage through the inner tube by enclosure within ceramic or other tubular insulators 29.

On the outside of inner tube i5 are secured a plurality of longitudinal fins 30 the; outer edges of which have sliding contact with the inne surface of blast tube i4 thereby holding said tubes coaxial to each other but permitting the inner tube to -be longitudinally adjusted with respect to the :outer or blast tube. An adjusting barjl is secured to and projects longitudinally rearward from the inner tube'and by being suitably offset is located in juxtaposition to a longitudinal slot. 32 in the, wall of the blast tube and is held in adjusted position therewith by screw 33 and win nut 34;

The rear end of inner tube l5 constitutes an annular seat 35 for a forwardly facing valve head 36 coaxial therewith and slidable upon fuel pipe 22L, This valve head is constructed, arranged and retained to enable a wide adjustment of second: ary ,air'flow to be obtained for the inner tubeby retraction of the :valve head varying distances from its seat to admit air up to full capacity of the tube if desired. As shown, the adjustment for said valve. is by means of'an arm 31 secured to and projecting rearwardly-from the inner tube across an edge portion of said valve with a longitudinal slot 38 in the arm in vicinity of said valve to receive' a clamping screw 39 therethrough threaded into the edge of the valve. A conveniently-large hand-hole 4| is made in the outer tube in the vicinity of the valve head and its adjusting arm from access, thereto as required. This hand-holeis closed, however, during operationof the combustion apparatus, by a suitable cover 42.;

After careful research and extensive experimenting I have determined that in addition to the adjustment of oil and air supply whichhas been of rather haphazard nature in the prior art, that intermixture' of the air with the atomized fuel relatively close to the nozzle is of primary importance. By controlling the actual spot at-which the high; speed streamof'air reaches the fuel spray, the mixing of the oil-and air is obtained most effectively. The catalytic; fuel molecule givesup its carbon and hydrogen for combustion purposes with great reluctance, and only by sur: .rounding the; microscopic particle with air can the mixing tothe extent necessary for smokeless and high-jefiiciency burning be achiev ed. .High velocity and some degree offturbulen-ce-of the air has accomplished an-advance toward fv the goal. 4.;

the tube and pipe.- 7 The" --that region to combine to from air to surround thejjfiindividu'al? particles.

"That circumstance therefore affords-opportunity with each other in form larger particles for particles which collide and when these larger particles enter the air 21 extending longitudinally within the air tubes to aposi-v aids .in the atomizing'of the fuel.

stream their size precludes association of adequate' air to obtain complete combustion. An es- .sential, object of the invention is accordingly provision of means to reduce and substantially eliminate the aforementioned vacuum and to im-. mediately surround each microscopic particle with air as it leaves thenozzle or as the fuel becomes initially atomized. A J v In carrying, out the inventive concept, the specific embodiment of means for the purpose is shownas accomplished by provision of a plurality of slits 50 longitudinally of the converging forward end of the inner tube in the part of-said tube whichgirdles the nozzle. It is also preferable to form the metal next one corresponding sideof each-slit as a blade or scoop 51 the edge of which next the slit is outward radially. As these scoops and slits are within the hollow nose or concentrator l8 wherein the spiral blades establish a whirlingturbulence, the scoop blades 5| are in the path of a portion of that whirling air and accordingly scoop it into the inner tube in a direction which spirals the air inwardly to the nozzle and to the region in front ofthe nozzle which otherwise would present the objectionable vacuum. The scoops and slitsltherefore not only admit the air to fill the void/but introduce the air to thatregion with a turbulencear'ld transverse velocity to the direction of flow of the prirn'ary'and secondary air to accomplish the desired surrounding of all of the fuel particles inthelr atomized state. This cross turbulence or air flow from the scoops furthermore will be effective to separateand'break up globules of a plurality of particles into constituent-particles and thus also 7 Thus a far greater turbulence than was previously"possible is created, atomization is enhanced, each minute particle is saturated with oxygen, the objection- .ablevacuum is'reduced or eliminated and a more perfect and complete combustion'is obtained and obtained closer to the nozzle than heretofore possible. It has been demonstrated by tests that eificien-cy is attained by use of the present invention with a 440 stack temperature and 12% CO2 flue gas reading. The installation tested shows a higher combustion chamber temperature and a much steadier and stabilized flame are obtained. Use of the inventiondefinitely tends to eliminatel 'any pulsation or name fluctuations; setting adjustments are simpler and easier to make and the apparatus is more quickly serviced in the fleldfthan prior.cilburners. The invention furthermore brings the flame closer to the nozzle, improves its'form' and color and reduccs'or eliminates horsetailing," besides enabling the innerltube to be shorter and thereby also enabling the outer tubeto'b'e shorter for effecting an overall saving in'length and a more compact app'af-g ratusr Theburner of this invention not only successfully uses the heavier catalytic oils, one of which was used in determination of the ratings given above, but also will operate with corresponding eficiency when burning lighter oils.

I claim:

1. Combustion apparatus comprising a blast tube, an inner tube ccaxially within the blast tube, both of said tubes having forwardly converging constrictions at their forward ends, the forward portion of the converging constriction of the inner tube being substantially within the converging constriction of the outer tube, a nozzle and fuel supply therefor coaxial with said tubes and with the nozzle substantially within the converging constriction of the inner tube, and airreceiving and directing means provided at and as a part with the converging constricted portion of the inner tube for diverting air from the said blades being angularly disposed to the direction of air fiow in the larger tube and directing a part of the air from the larger tube into said region in front of the nozzle.

5. Combustion apparatus comprising a fuel nozzle, a blast tube radially outside of. and c0- blast tube transversely of and within the converging constriction of the inner tube.

2. Combustion apparatus comprising a blast tube, an inner tube coaxially within the blast tube, both of said tubes having forwardly converging constrictions at their forward ends, the forward portion of the converging constriction of the inner tube being substantially within the converging constriction of the outer tube, said forwardly converging constriction of the inner tube having longitudinal slits therein with a margin of each slit having an outwardly projecting scoop for diverting a portion of the air from the blast tube transversely of and within the converging constriction of the inner tube.

3. Combustion apparatus comprising a blast tube, an inner tube coaxially within the blast tube, both of said tubes having forwardly converging constrictions at their forward ends, the forward portion of the converging constriction of the inner tube being substantially within the converging constriction of the outer tube, a nozzle and fuel supply therefor coaxial with said tubes and with the nozzle substantially within the converging constriction of the inner tube, said converging constriction of the inner tube having longitudinal slits therein, a margin next one edge of each of said slits extending outwardly into the passage between said tubes thereby constituting a scoop for diverting a portion of the air from the blast tube transversely of and within the converging constriction of the inner tube.

4. Combustion apparatus comprising a fuel axial with said nozzle, said blast tube having air turbulating vanes therein and having a forward open end for discharge of a column of air therefrom .in front of the nozzle, and an inner tube within said outer tube and between said turbulating vanes and nozzle, said inner tube having blades directed toward said turbulating vanes I for scooping a portion of the turbulated air and having slits at the basal ends of said blades for passing the scooped air to the region directly in front'of said nozzle and within the column of air discharged from said forward open end.

GEORGE BERNHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Glendenning Jan. 29, 1946 

